Where The Gods Dance
by icedsweettea
Summary: fantasy folklore!AU, PruCan. In which a dance and many more joins a human and a deity into fate.
1. Chapter 1

My grandfather has always told me to be careful when playing in the forests.

As a boy, I grew up in a quiet yet prosperous little village. The vast lands that goes over hills and into forests has always been my grandfather's family's and before his. In our little village, the people worked hard and lived happy lives. Everyone was fed enough, and celebrations are celebrated together.

My mother died giving birth to my little brother, and my father disappeared. The old fortune telling lady said my father was taken by the ancient beings who resided deep in the forests- she said that he gave his own life to the deities in exchange that mother could give birth to my little brother- but they never told him that mother wouldn't make it and that my little brother's birth won't be natural.

Once every year, the second night of the full moon is high up in the bright night sky, the village will hold the Festival of Dancing Lights. It is said that in the first night, the deities will roam outside of the forests to bless the lands and our crops as our reward for taking good care of their lands in which we live in. Some say that you could see glowing silhouettes or orbs of light flying about in the dead of the night, in a dance-like manner.

So, we hold this tradition as our thanks to the deities. The whole village will be lit up with bright lanterns, and the people will gather in the Centre as music is played and wore their best clothes. We will feast on our best dishes, the elders will tell their endless stories of heroes and gods to the children. My favorite part of the festive is when the dancing starts.

My grandfather told me that the dance we danced were the dance of the gods. Long time ago, when the first men came to these lands, they came upon the deities dancing and playing music in the forests. Their dance was so beautiful and flawless, that the men asked the deities to teach them, not even realizing they were ancient beings- but beings with kind hearts. The gods taught them and in exchange, the men took good care of the land and their hills, and they will live prosperously and peacefully much to the deities' happiness.

And here we are, dancing and enjoying our festival into the night. I was sitting at the tables, eating a piece of meat pie with my little brother beside me, enjoying his apple cider. I was a strapping young man of 20 years old, growing and expected to inherit my grandfather's business in sheep herding. Grandfather has taught me the ways of a great sheep herder, I even followed him to the larger towns far by to make business. I was more than happy to accept the inheritance, and I imagined day after day to sail across the seas to expand the family business to other lands, with my little brother by my side, of course.

As the people danced and ate, I took a swig of my cider, enjoying the chill running down into my throat. My little brother, a lad of 13 years old, tugged onto my sleeve. "Bruder, I'm getting tired. May I return and rest for the night?" he asked, gently rubbing his already red eyes.

"Of course, Ludwig!" I laughed, stood and excused ourselves from the table to the elders. As we walked through the festival grounds, the area became quieter from the music and the laughter and our path was guided by the lanterns and the glowing moon.

As we reached to our house made of stone and old oak wood, Ludwig quickly made his way up the stairs to his room. Making sure he washed his face and feet and bidding him good night, I went back down the stairs and added more wood to the fire in the fireplace. I couldn't just leave my little brother here alone while everyone is at the festival, so I relaxed in the large fur chair.

Feeling devious, I went outside the house and stood in front of the door, taking out a pipe hidden underneath the lapels of my coat. I lit it and smoked, enjoying the gentle herbal scent filling my lungs.

And that was when I saw it.

It came out from a corner behind a house, not far from mine. At first, I thought it was just a fellow villager, but when I saw those unnaturally bright yellow locks and strange dress, I knew it wasn't from our village. I couldn't see its face as it was dark from where it was standing. It seemed to be looking around like a spectator. As it took a few steps to the front, closer to the lantern and into the moonlight, I gave a quiet gasp as I saw it's face.

_He_, was beautiful. A young man with such feminine qualities! He wore a blue robe with golden decorations sewed in that went all the way to his ankles. His golden hair was long and curled just barely touching his shoulders. He had a strange strand of curl sticking out of his bangs, and he wore a flower crown on his head. Pushing my back off the door, he suddenly turned towards me, and we locked our sights on each other's eyes.

My dark brown-red met his cerulean-violet irises that shone with royalty and confidence. His delicate features remained stoic, and then he smiled. Out of habit, I smiled back, and he brought up a hand to his mouth in a manner of a giggle. I took a step forward and opened my mouth to greet him, but he suddenly turned around and skipped away into the lantern-lit road.

I quickly went after him, and he started to run. I heard small piles of giggles and gentle laughs, ringing into my ears. It sounded like music. "Wait!" I called, but he payed no attention and continued to run so gracefully. In a moment, I realized that he was running towards where the festival was being held!

Dropping my pipe, I broke into a run faster to catch up to him. He turned around and gave me a cheeky smile as if beckoning me to follow him into the crowd. As I did, we fell into the dancing crowd. The villagers, drunk in happiness and ale locked arms with mine and pulled me into a spinning frenzy as the ladies danced in circles in the opposite direction, flowers and ribbons in their hands and hair. I saw him among the ladies, dancing along, and all the while he smiled at me.

I had to break into dance steps just so that I won't be fall and get trampled over. As the music played and the clapping did not stop, my eyes kept going through the heads and faces, trying to find him. Now, the dance has gone into a line-up stance, the men on one side and the women on the other- and there he was. He stood arm-in-arm with the ladies, smiling right in front of me. The dancers joins with their couple, and my arms caught the petite young man.

The dancing never stopped, the music and the clapping went into a faster rhythm. As I held his hands and he held mine, he smiled and laughed, his voice ringing in my ears like sweet music. I was baffled with his beauty and flow, my mind was completely blank. I forgot about the music. I forgot about the festival. I forgot about my little brother asleep alone in the house. In my mind and reality, it was only him and myself, dancing, twirling, laughing.

It was so sudden that the fun ended.

The music suddenly stopped and the dancers stopped in their tracks in confusion, and screams were heard in the air. Mothers called for the children, hurriedly picking them up and men ran around, checking for whoever's missing. I stood with him in the middle of the Centre, still hand-in-hand. My eyes darted here and there, catching glimpses of worried shouts and yells of "Wolves!" or "Get inside the houses!"

Turning to face him again, the young man too had a look of worry in his features. His brows were knitted in a frown, and his lip quivered small. He turned to me, and smiled. He picked up the flower crown in his head, and placed it on mine. "What?" I asked, but he only continued to smile, and dashed fast towards his left.

"Hey, don't go in there!" I quickly called but he easily jumped over the bushes and rain straight into the dark forest, vanishing from my sight. I stood there stupidly, until I heard my grandfather's voice.

"Gilbert!" he called, and I turned to him. Grandfather was holding his sword in his hands. "Vati? What's happening?" I asked. "Wolves. They got into our village. We need to check the roads now. Where's your brother?" he asked, and with that I gasped.

"Ludwig's sleeping the house..!"

Grandfather and I ran as fast as we could towards our house as a few men followed, and the rest went around the village to check for safety. As the house came into our view, the doors were open and there were claw marks. "Ludwig!" I shouted and blindly ran into the house as Grandfather called for me.

Without a weapon or some sort of defense item, I ran up the stairs and into the dim hallway, towards Ludwig's room.

"Ludwig!" I shouted in worry, opening his door, but to find him fast asleep under the covers. Then, he stirred and lazily opened his eyes. "Bruder..? What's wrong? Why did you wake me up?" he groaned, displeased.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I made my way to the bed and pulled my little brother into a hug much to his dismay. I hear grandfather and the men who followed us search the house, and thankfully it was empty. "Bruder, why are you wearing a flower crown? Isn't that a lady thing?" Ludwig managed to giggle, poking his little fingers on my head. I merely sighed as sudden exhaustion came into myself and I fell into the bed.

* * *

**Hi readers! So here's a little PruCan fic I typed. I was reading folklore related things, and I just loved it and I had to make this. I hope you enjoyed this little snippet. I feel like making a part 2, in which Gilbert meets this 'mysterious boy' again, but I'd like some review from you guys first! And I appreciate it if you listened to Ardan's Dancing With Celts (any song!) while reading this to set the mood in.**

**Thank you! **

**You can also find me in .com **


	2. Chapter 2

There was hardly any noise in the forest as I ran. Save for the occasional chirps of crickets and frogs, but I ran with such gracefulness, I was almost invincible.

To human eyes, I am nothing more than a glimpse of a glowing firefly in the forest. I ran and ran, jumping and leaping over bushes and tree bunks that grew out of the earth, quietly. As I ran, all the twigs and branches automatically avoided me, as if they were my friends. Any creature that was not sleeping would hurriedly scurry out of their nest just to have a glimpse of myself.

As I've felt I have ran far enough, I stopped right in front of a stream. I barely wasted any breath, since I was accustomed to running, and this felt like it was just a walk in the breeze. Looking back to the path I ran through, I scanned into the distance and around myself to see if I was being followed, but thankfully found nothing.

I smiled, recalling the moment I stepped into the human village. I sat on a rock by the gentle-flowing stream, letting the water wash away the mud stuck on my feet. Whilst that, I hummed the music the humans played in their festival. If it was music and dance, I could memorize them in a jiffy like my life depended on it. I couldn't help it anyway, I loved dance and music!

"Matthieu!" A familiar voice called. Turning my head to my right, I saw my older brother, Alfred. "Where have you been? You weren't there during dinner and supper!" He asked, walking towards me, his dark maroon cape flowing behind him as his leather boots trudged across the damp earth. "Oh, I was just having a walk, brother. Nothing to worry about," I laughed, playfully kicking the water. "Father and the High Priest is furious," Alfred frowned.

"Papa and Arthur? Oh, all they've ever done the most was worry about us, Alfred!" I chuckled. Alfred kneeled beside me, stroking my hair. Then, he gasped and took a step backwards. "You've gone to the human village! I can smell it from your hair!" He whispered, as if we were not alone. "Yes. So?" I asked.

"That is forbidden, Matthieu! We are prohibited to come in contact with humans, only the High Priests are able to do so!" My brother exclaimed. "Oh, but there was nothing wrong, Alfred! Nothing dangerous happened at all! Besides, the humans were all too drunk in their festival to notice me!" I sighed, standing up and stretched my arms. Alfred frowned again, obviously worried about his trouble-seeking little brother.

Placing my hands on my brother's shoulders, I leaned in closely to him. "Alfred, I'll tell you about it, only if you don't tell anyone else!" I whispered to him with a smile. Then, Alfred slowly smiled and chuckled. "Deal," he gleefully chirped. Taking his hand in my mine, I led him through the trees and bushes towards our 'secret place', all the while telling him of my little adventure.

"It was marvelous, Alfred! The happiness I felt in the air and in their auras were exploding!" I laughed. "And of the food? Were they as delicious as ours? And their music?" Alfred asked, skipping along with me. "Oh, lovely! They were serving roasted meat and pies and cakes! I could smell how delicious and well kept their ale was! And their music!" I exclaimed. By then, we've arrived to our 'secret place', which was a small opening that led to the Great Lake.

The bright round moon sailed in the night sky, illuminating a soft glow onto us and the calm waters. We sat on the large rocks, Alfred throwing pebbles into the waters. "I've always wanted to go to the human village too," Alfred sighed, flicking his wrist and arm to throw another pebble that jumped three times before falling into the water. "Then, why don't you?" I asked him, though I've already known the answer.

"Because I will be the next High Knight, Matthieu! And Knights are not supposed to explore into human lands for 'fun'!" Alfred groaned in dismay. He sat beside me, sighing as he wrapped his arms around his propped knee, making him look like a child. "And you shouldn't be running around freely in the forests too. You're next in throne, remember?" he said.

Leaning back on my palms, I sighed, looking at the quiet moon. "I know, brother. I still can't believe you gave it up to become a knight," I said. "That's because I don't want to just sit and _rule_!" Alfred said, and he stood up. He pretended to hold a sword and a shield on his arm as he stood in a battle stance.

"I want to roam the lands! I want adventures, Matthieu! I want to save a damsel in distress, locked away in a high tower! I want to hunt dragons and trolls! Keep the valley safe! I want to ride with my stallion across the ancient lands as how our ancestors had done so!" Alfred exclaimed into the night with pride. "I want adventure, Matthieu. That's why I'd rather be a knight than a king," Alfred said, looking at me.

"And since I am the much more fragile one, I have to take the throne," I finished. Alfred let out a short laugh. "Not _fragile_, brother. You're just.. more of a soft and gentle type, see?" he chuckled, and I stood up and gave him a playful punch to his arm. "Come, we should return before papa sends out guards to search for us," Alfred said. We carefully ascended from the rocks and entered the forest, back into the path towards our village.

* * *

Gilbert sighed again and it seemed like this was the fourth time. He was tending to the sheep this afternoon. Grandfather had to be in a meeting with the other chiefs from other villages, and Gilbert was not invited. He leaned back on the tree, as he watched the sheep lazily graze on the fresh grass. He heard small footsteps coming towards him from behind.

"Ludwig? Shouldn't you be in school?" Gilbert asked. "School ended early today. The teacher said it was for safety pre.. um," Ludwig pondered. "Safety precautions," Gilbert finished for him. "Yeah," his little brother chirped and Gilbert petted his soft hair with a chuckle.

"Bruder, you did not stay in the house when I was asleep last night. Where did you go?" Ludwig asked. "I went for a little walk," Gilbert lied.

"No, you did not. I heard Vati scolding you this morning," Ludwig retorted. Gilbert gave him a look, but his little brother was too much of a persistent boy. He turned again to the sheep and sighed.

"Okay, fine. I met someone," Gilbert confessed. "Who? A girl?" Ludwig giggled.

"I don't know. I think he was a male, about my age," Gilbert said, and described to his little brother of what he saw. "Golden hair? Nobody in our village has _pure_ golden hair, only dirty ones or dark brown," Ludwig pondered.

"Maybe he was a traveler?" Ludwig suggested. "Nah, I don't think so. Travelers don't come by much these days, with wolves going around mad," Gilbert sighed.

"Hm. So that's where you got the flower crown from?" Ludwig said. Gilbert nodded blankly. "You know, I heard from that old fortune telling lady, that flower crowns were cherished by the gods. They considered them as presents for loved ones. They gave each other flower crowns as a sign of friendship or love," Ludwig said.

"Huh, really?" Gilbert turned to his little brother. "Yeah. Bruder, I think you should keep that flower crown well. I feel like it's something special," Ludwig smiled. Gilbert smiled back and leaned onto the tree, looking at the sky through the small holes in between the tree leaves.

A sign of friendship, huh? And for the rest of the day, the nameless boy's eyes were in his mind.

* * *

"Leave?" Gilbert exclaimed, his fists unconsciously slammed on the dining table, rattling their cups and plates.

His grandfather gave him a look, and Gilbert swallowed and sat back down. "It's just for a month, Gilbert. There will be a grand meeting in the White City, and all village chiefs are to attend it, including myself," his grandfather repeated calmly, and took sip of his ale.

"But this is so sudden! And you're to leave tomorrow morning, after what has happened in the festival night?" Gilbert sighed. "The people will be fine, Gilbert. I need to attend to this important matter, and in the mean time, I fully trust you to keep in check of the village," his grandfather said.

Oh, keeping check of the village is an easy thing to do, but what Gilbert dreaded is that without his grandfather around, it was easier for him to be bothered by the village girls and their snooty fathers who wouldn't stop to try get his hand in marriage! Gilbert hated when that happens, it made him feel very suffocated.

"Gilbert," his grandfather called sternly. The boy's eyes peeked up from under his bangs, sipping quietly on his cider. "After what happened in the festival, the people need someone for guidance to help them ensure safety and comfort. I need you to do this while I'm away. I don't want you to carelessly leave them, as how you left Ludwig alone in the house that night," Grandfather spoke in full honesty. "I trust you, Gilbert. You have your father's courage and your mother's strength. Do not let it go to waste,"

With the mention of his parents, Gilbert's eyes stared into the small pool of cider in his goblet. "Okay, Vati," he said, close to a whisper. His grandfather relaxed back in his chair and smiled. "Do not worry, Gilbert. Everything will be fine," he said, and finished his ale.

It was in the early dawn when his grandfather left. The sky was already turning to bright blue as Gilbert stood by, with little Ludwig sleepily leaned into his arms. As all the necessities are saddled for the long journey, his grandfather turned to his two grandchildren. "I will be gone for just a month, boys. I will be back soon, and I will bring you sweets from the city," he promised. Gilbert nodded, but Ludwig suppressed a sob.

"Don not weep, little one. I need you to stay here with your brother so you'll keep him out of trouble for me, alright?" the man smiled, placing a warm gloved hand on the small boy's head as Ludwig nodded. Their grandfather pulled the both of them into a tight hug, and Gilbert whispered him to take good care of himself in the roads.

Their grandfather saddled onto his horse along with two other comrades and trotted away out towards the lands. Gilbert picked up his little brother and they quickly made their way onto the tall watch tower nearby, climbing up the stairs. As they reached to the top, they quietly looked over to the horizon as their grandfather slowly became smaller and smaller as he descended down the valley.

* * *

"Bruder, where are we going?" Ludwig asked. They were making their way up to the hills, to where the sheep usually graze at. Gilbert held his little brother's hand as he carried some flowers on the other. "We're going to where the gods will hear us," he smiled down to his brother.

As they've gone further up away from the tree they always sat under, they came came up to a large block of stone with strange marks carved all over. Gilbert kneeled in front of the stone, and Ludwig followed him. "This is the proof of our people's alliance with the gods of the lands, Ludwig," Gilbert said, placing the flowers against the rock beside a few other flowers recent villagers placed. "Just like in the stories?" Ludwig asked and Gilbert nodded.

"Let us pray our thanks to the gods for watching over us, and watching over Vati," Gilbert said. Both brothers were on their knees, hands clasped together, praying silently. Gilbert asked for the gods to watch over his Vati and his little brother, wishing that no harm will come against them.

* * *

**Hello again, readers! Thank you so much for your comments from the previous chapter, I was so happy! I'm glad you guys liked it!**

**I think you guys have guessed that Germania is the brothers' grandfather, eh? I wanted to portray him being a father figure to the boys, seeing that he was the one who brought them up. And yes, Matthieu and Alfred are one of the deities that lives in the deep forest. Matthieu is to be a king! I felt that Alfred won't be much of a king, since he is more of the adventurous type, so Matthieu is to take the throne next. Oh, and their father is Francis ;D**

**I hope you don't mind my style of writing, because I really like to describe things as how the characters see!**


	3. Chapter 3

Matthieu woke up from his dream. He lay under the soft satin blanket as the warm morning sun flowed in through the leaves. He sat up and stretched, recalling his dream of the night he visited the human village.

Smiling, he stepped out of his bed made of branches. His home was completely made out of trees, branches and vines with a touch of magic. His feet made a small pattering sound as he skipped on the wooden floor, making his way to the stream for a bath. The house was quiet, he guessed that papa and his brother has gone to their errands. Being the youngest, and since his trainings to become king hasn't started yet, Matthieu has nothing to do most of the time, so he spent his days away either exploring the forest or dancing and singing in the house.

He stripped off his night robe, placing it on a branch beside him. There were not many elves at the river at this time of the day since he woke up late, so Matthieu appreciated the privacy he had. He swam into the clear water, occasionally playing with the snails and small crabs that crawled lazily on the soft sand.

Matthieu had always been the one close to animals. Since he was a small elf, animals would come to him and play like old friends. "A bit like a dryad," his papa would chuckle back then. Not that Matthieu minded it, but he loved to play with the animals. Sometimes he would even skip through the forests with the deers or listen to the wolves' call into the night beside them.

After his bath and a quick breakfast, Matthieu made his way down the branch steps, down the large oak tree which was his home. The elves of his village have ruled these lands and hills for many years, even since before men came to explore. They were ancient beings of ancient ancestry, practitioners of magic in nature. They have kept peace in the forests and with the humans who reside in their lands. The elders would bless the humans' crops as thanks for taking care of their land with their magic. As much as Matthieu wanted to join them, he couldn't because his magic was still under developed, and he was still too young. Papa and the High Priest, Arthur, would leave together in the first night of the full moon.

"Good morning, your highness!" The chorus of the villagers would greet Matthieu as he walked down into the market, smiling and enjoying the morning bustle of traders. "Look, it's Prince Matthieu! How beautiful he is today!" "Look at the trail of flowers he leaves wherever he goes.. very pretty!" They would whisper to each other.

Where ever Matthieu went, flowers and small patches of grass would grow to where he stepped on the earth. "It means you are born a natural in magic, prince," Arthur told him once. "It shows that you are perfectly in 'sync' with nature's magic and that mother nature accepts you. You are to grow more greenery in the forests, when the time comes,"

Matthieu liked the idea, and that is why he spends so much time dancing in the forest, just to grow more flowers and vines of green in empty patches of earth. Grabbing an apple and tossing a gold coin to the seller, Matthieu skipped into a familiar path that led into the forest, happily biting into the sweet apple.

* * *

"Ladies and gents, thank you for coming to tonight's event!" Joseph shouted in glee and everyone in the Great Hall cheered.

Gilbert wanted more than anything but to escape. He sat at the Elders' table, in his grandfather's tall large seat, obviously too big for him. Ludwig sat on his chair beside him, obviously confused to what's happening. "Bruder, what's going on? Is someone getting married?"" Ludwig asked, his big round eyes looking at his older brother. Gilbert only waved a hand to shush him, very irritated with Joseph's persistent mind and plans.

"What are we celebrating, old man!" A villager asked, seated in the crowd an the tables. The old man, Joseph gave a toothy grin. "Why, we are celebrating Sir Gilbert Beilschmidt's day of court, of course!" he said and the villagers cheered, lifting their mugs of ale. Gilbert rolled his eyes in annoyance, thinking when will the old coot stop trying to get him to marry his daughter. Gilbert's eyes scanned throughout the crowd, and most of the village girls are dressed up in their best dresses, hair braided and tied with flowers or ribbons.

"Now, as we all know, the Courting Dance are held with all the lads and ladies, but tonight's dance will start off with Sir Gilbert being the only gent in the dance!" and the crowd cheered in support. "Now, those who wish to court Sir Gilbert may step to the front, ladies and gents alike!" Sir Joseph laughed, and almost every village girl hurriedly took their places, with only a few men stepped up in either just for fun or were serious.

"Come now, Sir Gilbert!" Joseph called, beckoning a hand. Gilbert sighed and brushed his fur coat off his shoulders. "Bruder, you don't have to do this," Ludwig hurriedly whispered. "It's okay, lad. You know how I am great in this dance," Gilbert grinned to his little brother, and he dramatically jumped over the wooden table, barely hitting any cups or plates and the villagers cheered.

The ladies and men lined in front of him as Gilbert, being the only one to be courted, stood in the opposite. Already, all the girls were either throwing flirty glances to him or too nervous to even look at him. Gilbert eyed each faces, recognizing a few familiar ones. The gents gave sheepish smiles to him, but Gilbert remained stoic. "Well, let's get this over with!" he announced, and Old Sir Joseph nodded to the musicians to start the music.

Just a few miles away, Matthieu heard the music playing, but this tune is different from the one in the festival. This one was faster, like a race. Matthieu calmly strolled through the village, towards the Great Hall that rested in the middle of the village on a hill. He jumped in excitement to see so many people gathered tonight, wondering what's the occasion about. Wrapping his cloak around him, he slipped into the Great Hall as the crowd cheered and applauded, and he saw him, the village chief's grandson, dancing in the middle among other dancers of ladies and a few gents.

* * *

Gilbert grinned in glee as he successfully avoided the inviting hands and arms of the other dancers. The rule of the dance is that when you manage to grab another dancer's hand, the both of them will court each other for the whole next morning. This dance firstly started off by the elders during their younger days just for fun, but as real feelings bloomed, the dance has become quite a serious occasion.

Since there are strict steps in the dance, there are also steps to avoid to be touched. These avoiding steps are very hard to learn, and only a few have managed to perfect it- and one of them is Gilbert himself. His grandfather taught him, of course, as when he danced when he was younger, he had his eyes set on only a single lady who had her eyes on his too.

Gilbert could see the disappointment in the girls' faces as when they reached out, Gilbert smoothly broke into a different step, leaving them confused in their own single stances. The crowd cheered and laughed, knowing that as much as the dancers try, nobody could ever get Gilbert's hand. The young man himself laughed as he continued to dance as the music went into a chorus. He twirled, stomped and clapped his hands gracefully, and yet nobody could even get close to him.

Gilbert could see Ludwig smiling and giggling at his older brother's actions at the table, along with the elders. Feeling devious, Gilbert broke into a run, skipping across the dance floor as he jumped and spin, letting the music take over his body. He felt invincible and drunk in excitement, and he closed his eyes use for a moment as the song came to a stop- and he felt arms envelope around him.

His eyes opened in shock as the villagers gasped.

* * *

"My, my, such a beautiful dance," the large man smiled. Gilbert froze in his spot as the unfamiliar man held him in strong arms.

Violet eyes met his brown-red. The man was taller and larger than him. Around his neck was a loose scarf. The man's head was tucked in warmly with a fur hat, and Gilbert could see a few strands of silvery-white hair poking out. The man had a genuine soft smile on his face, and Gilbert found himself smiling back, relaxing in his arms.

"Who are you, good sir?" One of the elders spoke. "I am a merely a traveller, sir. Just coming by from the inn to see what was the occasion," the man replied, but he never took his eyes off of Gilbert.

"Your name?" the elder asked again. "Braginski. Ivan Bragisnki," he said, taking Gilbert's hand in his and planted a gentle kiss on it, causing the young man's face to redden. The other dances merely stood there, either given up or furious for this sudden stranger to have his hands all over the head chief's grandson.

"Very well. Ivan Braginski, welcome to our village. And congratulations to you, for having to court young Gilbert Beilschmidt for the next day!" The elder announced, much to Sir Joseph's dismay but the crowd cheered. As everyone were settling down again, Ivan loosened his arms around Gilbert.

"Court? Does this mean I have the whole day tomorrow with you?" he asked, his voice thick of accent. Gilbert merely smiled and chuckled. "Yes. Not that I mind," he said.

Ludwig suddenly came up behind him, holding his coat. "Bruder, it is getting late," Ludwig said, handing the coat to his older brother as he eyed the stranger. "My house is at the top of the hill, straight across of this road. I hope to have a good time with you tomorrow morning, Sir Braginski," Gilbert said, smiling as he gave a small bow.

"I will await for you outside your house first thing in the morning, Gilbert Beilschmidt," Ivan replied, bowing. He watched quietly as the brothers exited the Great Hall, memorizing the smile he gave to him.

Nobody notice Matthieu slipped out.

* * *

"Bruder, why are you so happy this morning?" Ludwig asked as he watched his older brother fixing his tunic and boots in front of the large mirror in his room.

"Is it because you're going to meet that traveler man?" he asked, casually scratching their Doberman dog as it lazily lied in front of him on the floor. Gilbert merely hummed as he fixed his hair. He couldn't sleep after meeting that strange man- Ivan Braginski. His violet eyes and deep romantic voice filled his mind all night long, he even dreamt of things he shouldn't!

"Come now, Ludwig! We should be sending you off to school now," Gilbert laughed, picking up his frowning little brother and effortlessly carrying him down the stairs towards the doors with his books already waiting on the small table nearby.

As he opened the door, the fresh morning air breezed onto their faces. Ludwig saw a group of school children walking together towards the school in front of their house. One of the kids saw him and called out to him. "Bruder, I'll go with them!" Ludwig said, and let his brother plant a kiss on his forehead and he was on his way.

Shortly after the group went off, a familiar man appeared at the front of the house. Gilbert smiled brightly as Ivan came up. "Good morning, Sir Beilschmidt," he smiled. "Good morning to you too, Sir Braginski," Gilbert smiled, giving a small bow.

"It's a lovely morning, da?" Ivan asked. "Yes, yes it is," Gilbert replied. The two men sheepishly stood there, unaware of the house servants who peeked from the windows of the second floor, giggling to themselves. "Well, shall we..?" Ivan gestured a hand, and Gilbert nodded. The both of them casually walked into the village, slowly started to talk to each other.

* * *

"It's love, Alfred! Love!" Matthieu exclaimed.

The two brothers were alone in their house. Alfred sat on his chair at the table, balancing between reading a scroll and listening to his younger brother's excited chatter. "Love, huh?" he lazily replied.

"Yes! You should have seen it! When the human prince was dancing, a knight caught him in his arms and they looked at each other deeply in their eyes.. I saw their auras' colours went into a frenzy! First it was yellow, and then red and then purple!" Matthieu chirped excitedly. "I saw love in their eyes, Alfred! It was beautiful!" he finished, and he fell onto his bed of soft woven branches, sighing.

"Matthieu, you should not freely explore into that village so often, someone will bound to notice!" Alfred sighed, placing the scroll onto the table, leaning back on his chair. "But Al, the human world is so mysterious! They lead such simple lives and yet exciting things happen. Unlike ours, which is so boring!" Matthew frowned.

"Isn't that why you became a knight? To have adventure, just as how the humans have adventures everyday in their lives?"

Alfred made a face to his brother, pouting, but he nodded in agreement. "Yes, Matthieu. But we are elves, we shouldn't mix with humans. Our magic radiance is too large for them it could hurt them! Surely you have heard of what happened to sir Arthur when he was younger back then?" his brother said.

Matthieu pondered, recalling to hear small tales of Sir Arthur in his younger days before he became the village's High Priest back then. Sir Arthur was a powerful magician, and he came from a family of powerful sorcerers and wizards. He was young and curious, he went into a human village once out of curiosity. One thing led to another, his magic suddenly clashed with the humans' weaker auras and people got hurt. He never went into a human village ever again.

Matthieu sat up, tapping his foot into a rhythm. He hummed the familiar tune from the village festival, and Alfred groaned in frustration. "Matthieu, stop that. Someone will hear you," he hissed, but Matthieu ignored him. He stood up, and went to his cupboard in the wall, picking a few flowers and a ribbon, tying them into his hair, all the while humming. "Brother, let's dance at the River Hall tonight!" Matthieu invited, but his brother merely huffed and shook his head. "Knights do not dance!"

"Oh, they do! I saw them dancing with the ladies at the River Hall last week's night!" Matthieu laughed, trotting over towards the table. "Come on, lift some steam off of your head for once," Matthieu giggled. "Matt, take those flowers and ribbon off your hair, father will be furious!" Alfred said, but it was too late when their father suddenly came into the house, announcing he's home.

"Matthieu, child!" Francis gasped as he hurried over to his son. "What are you wearing in your hair? Remove them at once!" The king demanded, and Matthieu quickly pulled the flowers and ribbon off, hiding them in his hands behind him, bowing his head low and trying to hide a silly smile.

"A king does not wear such feminine items! They are to dress appropriately like a man, and to dress like a king is what you must do, not wearing these childish robes all the time!" Francis scolded in disgust, fingering the sleeve of Matthieu's pale green robe. "But papa, robes are much more comfortable than tunics and boots!" Matthieu pouted as Alfred quietly chuckled from the desk.

"I shall hear none of that, child! You are to become the next king, and I expect you to change this childish tardiness of yours soon! If the ancestors would glimpse at you, Heavens above know how they would feel!" Francis sighed, rubbing his fingers on the bridge of his nose. "Now come, dinner will be set soon, and I expect the both of you to be there this time," he said, descending down the stairs as his boots made deep thumps against the wood.

Matthieu turned to his brother only to give him a sheepish smile.

* * *

**Yup, a bit of Russia/Prussia as starters, but don't worry, it will develop into PruCan soon!**

**You guys can look for me in tumblr, my username is hellomyself-goodbyeyourself. Till then! Reviews are always appreciated.**


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